Rainbows in Reykjavik

While most of the gay community celebrates Pride in June with short-shorts and tank tops, the curtain has risen on the world stage for a new era of celebrations. Iceland’s second annual LGBT winter festival, Rainbow Reykjavik, will be held Jan. 31 through Feb. 3.

Have you ever dreamt of seeing the Northern Lights? How about walking along the Continental Divide between the tectonic plates of Europe and North America? The program anticipates international guests from all over the world with an itinerary that offers a mixture of nature, activities, culture, cuisine, music & nightlife.??

This is also one of the best times in history to witness the Northern Lights. Recent supercharged Aurora Borealis displays are projected to continue into 2013. The chance to witness Mother Nature’s breathtaking Northern Lights is one of Iceland’s greatest appeals. NASA researchers predict that 2013 will be one of the most visually dynamic years in decades. Recent coronal mass ejections from the sun are causing amplified Northern Lights displays, stunning stargazers in Iceland and across the Northern Hemisphere. The beautiful glowing display of lights is generated from charged particles created by the sun’s coronal mass ejections colliding with the Earth’s atmosphere at more than 3.2 million mph.

Collaborate efforts from Icelandair, Icelandair Hotels, Reykjavik Excursions and Pink Iceland have ensured a dynamic schedule of events for the LGBT winter adventurer. Day tours include the Blue Lagoon, considered one of the 25 wonders of the modern world, as well as indoor activities such as The Iceland Phallological Museum, which contains a collection of more than two hundred and fifteen penises and penile parts belonging to almost all the land and sea mammals that can be found in Iceland.

From gourmet meals to private walking tours, the weekend’s itinerary will showcase the diversity and acceptance of Iceland’s LGBT community, culminating in Midnight Pink Party where revelers can celebrate until the wee hours of the morning.

As a special addition, this year’s Rainbow Reykjavik Concert will be hosted by Euroband and feature Iceland’s most celebrated Eurovision icons for any evening of power ballad, disco beats and trashy techno. If you’ve been living with earplugs for the last half-century, Eurovision is a pan-European singing competition held every year since 1956 and one of the biggest televised events in the world.

Head to western Massachusetts for a Gilded Age dream any time of year. From rolling orchards and farm-to-table to cuisine to an unparalleled cultural scene, the Berkshires is the perfect D.I.Y. getaway for a true sense of the American spirit.

What's different about New Orleans a decade since Katrina is a newfound infatuation from those who survived the storm and those who were drawn there in the aftermath. If America is a melting pot, then New Orleans is a big pot of tasty gumbo.